Marginal note:Returning officer to open and maintain an office

60(1) Every returning officer shall, without delay after receiving the writ or notice by the Chief Electoral Officer of the issue of the writ, open an office in premises with level access in a convenient place in the electoral district and shall maintain the office throughout the election period.

Marginal note:Hours

(2) The Chief Electoral Officer may fix the hours that the office must be open and the minimum number of hours of compulsory attendance at it by the returning officer and the assistant returning officer.

Marginal note:Appointment of staff

61(1) The Chief Electoral Officer may authorize returning officers to appoint the staff that they consider necessary for the purposes of this Act.

Return by Acclamation

Marginal note:Return by acclamation

63(1) When, as of 2:00 p.m. on the 19th day before polling day, the returning officer has confirmed a nomination for only one candidate, the returning officer shall

(a) without delay declare the candidate elected by endorsing the return of the writ in the prescribed form on the back of the writ and returning it to the Chief Electoral Officer; and

(b) within 48 hours after the return of the writ, send a certified copy of it to the elected candidate.

Marginal note:Report with return

(2) When the returning officer returns the writ to the Chief Electoral Officer, the returning officer shall include with it a report of the proceedings during the election period, including any nomination proposed and rejected for non-compliance with this Act.

Holding of an Election

Marginal note:Holding of election

64(1) If the nomination of more than one candidate is confirmed in an electoral district, an election shall be held.

Marginal note:Notice of grant of a poll

(2) The returning officer shall, within five days after the closing day for nominations, if more than one candidate is nominated, post in the returning office a notice of grant of a poll in the prescribed form that indicates

(a) the name and political affiliation, if any, of each candidate, as stated in the nomination papers, in the order in which their names are to be placed on the ballots;

(b) the name of the official agent for each candidate, as stated in the nomination papers; and

(c) the name, if any, and the number of each of the polling divisions and the addresses of the polling stations in that electoral district.

Marginal note:Notice to be posted in polling station

(3) The returning officer shall send one copy of the notice of grant of a poll to each deputy returning officer or central poll supervisor, as the case may be, and the officer or supervisor shall post the notice in his or her polling place.

Marginal note:Documents to candidates

(4) The returning officer shall send to each candidate, on the later of the 31st day before polling day and the day on which the candidate’s nomination is confirmed, up to 10 copies of a document that sets out a description of the boundaries of the polling divisions in the electoral district.

(i) a person who was a candidate in a previous election and for whom a return, report, document or declaration has not been provided under subsection 477.59(1), if the time and any extension for providing it have expired.

Marginal note:Manner of nomination

(ii) the address designated by the prospective candidate for service of documents under this Act,

(iii) the name and address of the prospective candidate’s official agent,

(iv) the name, address and occupation of the prospective candidate’s auditor appointed under subsection 477.1(2), and

(v) the name of the political party that has endorsed the prospective candidate or, if none, the prospective candidate’s choice to either have the word “independent” or no designation of political affiliation under his or her name in election documents;

(b) a statement by the prospective candidate, consenting to the nomination, signed and sworn in the presence of a witness who is an elector but is not the person who administers the oath;

Marginal note:Particulars of candidates

(a) the name shall not include any title, degree or other prefix or suffix;

(b) one or more of the given names may be replaced by a nickname by which the prospective candidate is publicly known, other than a nickname that could be confused with the name of a political party, and the nickname may be accompanied by the initial or initials of their given name;

(c) a normal abbreviation of one or more of the given names may be substituted for the given name or names; and

(d) the occupation shall be stated briefly and shall correspond to the occupation by which the prospective candidate is known in his or her place of ordinary residence.

Marginal note:Public knowledge of nickname

(3) A prospective candidate who uses a nickname described in paragraph (2)(b) in his or her nomination paper shall, if the returning officer requests it, provide the returning officer with documents that are determined by the Chief Electoral Officer to be evidence of the common public knowledge of the nickname.

Marginal note:Notification and determination

(4) If the returning officer is of the opinion that a nickname referred to in paragraph (2)(b) could be confused with the name of a political party, he or she shall notify the Chief Electoral Officer, who shall determine whether the nickname may be used as provided in that paragraph.